The Assistants
#9 – Honeymoon Wishes
by JMD

“You know, this would be a whole lot easier if you'd let me levitate you."

Hollie eyed her new husband seriously.  "Are you calling me fat?"

"No," Paul answered, not seeming worried.  "Just heavy."

"Well, too bad," his wife told him.  "We agreed.  No magic on the honeymoon."

"Fine, whatever."  His face was starting to show the strain.  "Just get the door open already."

She smiled before twisting to slip the keycard in the door.  After getting the green light, she pushed down the latch.  "Okay, Hercules," she teased.

Paul turned and used his shoulder to push open the door.  Moving quickly, he crossed the threshold of the hotel room.  "There," he said.  "Can I put you down now?"

"Right after you kiss me," she said, leaning in to offer him her lips.  He bent in and gave her a quick peck, then practically dropped her to the floor.  "Not exactly what I had in mind," she complained, working to catch her balance.

"Then let me make it up to you," he said, pulling her into his arms.  This time, the kiss was much deeper and lasted far longer.  As they pulled apart, he smiled at her.  "How was that, Mrs. Lance?" he asked.

"Magic," she breathed, laying her head against his chest.

"Nope," he corrected.  "That was all natural."

"Yay for Mother Nature."

Paul laughed and turned her to face the room.  "So, what do you think?"

She smiled.  They were only going to be in the room for the night.  In the morning, they were catching a flight to Rio de Janeiro.  Still, Paul had gotten them a luxury room with a fantastic view of the city.  "Well," she told him, "I see a bed, so I think we're good."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that."  He went to pull her into another kiss.

She started to respond, but something caught her eye.  "Hey, what's that?"

"What's what?" he asked, turning to follow her gaze.  On the bed was a rectangular box wrapped in a colored ribbon.  "I don't know," he admitted.

She pulled away and went over for a closer look.  It was obviously a gift.  A card on the top had her name written on it.  She looked back at Paul, but all he did was shrug.  Turning back, she pulled the card from the box.  She flipped it open and read:

Hey Sis.  Welcome to the family.  Here's a little something to help get that up tight brother of mine's motor running.

"Well?" Paul asked.

"It's from Corrie," she told him.  She cautiously opened the box and looked inside.  A wide grin crossed her face at what she found.

"What is it?"

She closed the box before he could see inside.  She gave him a quick wink, and headed for the bathroom.  "I'll show you in a minute," she said as she backed out of the room and closed the door.

Actually it was closer to fifteen minutes before Paul heard the bathroom open.  He had moved over to the window and was admiring the view when she called for his attention.  He turned and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her leaning against the bathroom door.

"So, Mr. Lance," she asked in a seductive tone.  "What do you think?"

"I thank I could almost forgive my sister for everything she's ever done," he said softly as he moved toward her.

Hollie met him half way.  "Almost?"

"She's done a lot," Paul said, taking her in his arms again.

"Well, this time," Hollie said, pulling away, "I think she did pretty good."  She held her arms out to give her husband another look at her outfit.

Paul had to admit that she looked great.  She was wearing a sheer white lace-mesh bustier with thin shoulder straps.  It clung seductively to her waist while a cute little bow between the cups called attention to her bust.  A pair of matching thong panties and stockings that were attached to the bustier with garters brought the entire ensemble to a very sexy finish.

"Yeah," Paul admitted.  "I guess she did."

A wide grin came to her face as she moved back into his arms for another deep kiss.  After a while, she pulled back, and started playing with the buttons on his shirt.  "So, what do you think we should do now?"

Paul answered her grin with one of his own.  "Oh, I could think of a few things."

"Cool!" Hollie sang.  She took his hand and began to pull him toward the bed.  "Let's do all of them."

And for the next couple of hours, that's just what they did.

Afterwards, they laid cuddled together for another hour or so.  Then, Paul slowly lifted his head and listened.  Hollie's breathing indicated that she had fallen into a deep, satisfied sleep.

Being careful not to wake her, he slipped out of the bed and pulled on his pants.  Quietly, he moved around the bed and gathered up the various articles of Corrie's gift that had, over the course of their play, ended up around the room.  With one final check to be sure Hollie hadn't woken, he moved into the bathroom and closed the door.

With a sigh, he looked around the bathroom.  It was split into two sections.  The first had a sink and a separate vanity.  Further back was the area with the toilet, tub and walk-in shower.  With a nod, he pulled the thong from the pile of lace in his hands and sat it on the chair of the vanity.  Moving over to the tub, he placed the stockings separately on the edge of the tub.  Finally, he reached over and put down the lid on the toilet before placing the bustier on it.

Walking back, he turned and took one more look at how he had the items arranged.  With another sigh, he nodded.  "Okay, ladies," he said.  "Wish fulfilled."

At the words, each item of lingerie began to shimmer and change.  The bustier formed into Tiffany.  The stockings soon became Michelle and Crystal.  At the vanity, Kristina took the place of the thong.  All were still dressed in the bridesmaids dresses they had worn at the wedding earlier.  

They all looked uneasy, except for Michelle, who was clearly angry.  She got up and walked over to Paul.  "Your sister's dead," she told him plainly.  Then, she turned to Kristina.  "As for you..."

"Michelle," Paul cut her off.  She turned to him, her eyes darkening.  "Leave her alone," Paul ordered.

Michelle started to say something, but stopped at the look in Paul's eye.  "I'm still going to kill your sister," she said, before turning to go back and sit on the edge of the tub.

"Get in line," Paul said under his breath.

         -----   -----   -----

Eight Hours Earlier:

"To Hollie and Paul," Crystal said, raising her champagne glass into the air.

"To Hollie and Paul," the other bridesmaids repeated, raising their glasses in kind.  Then, they all drank.

Tiffany sat her glass down on the table and checked out the empty reception hall.  "Of course," she said, turning to Crystal, "you do realize that the happy couple loaded all their crap into a rental car and left a half hour ago, right?"

Crystal looked confused, then shrugged.  "Your point?"

"Honey," Michelle told her, "I don't think that car is the only thing that's gotten loaded today."  She tried to take Crystal's glass away from her, but the other girl dodged her grab and poured herself another glass.  Sitting back, she stuck her tongue out at Michelle and took a sip.

Kristina smiled at the two, then turned to Tiffany.  "So, they're going to Vegas?" she asked.

"Yes," Tiffany replied, "but just for tonight.  They fly out to Rio in the morning."

"Still," Kristina said, "a wedding night in Vegas sounds pretty romantic to me."

"It does indeed," Corrie agreed from beside her, sipping her own champagne.  "And trust me on this one.  Hollie is in for a treat."

They all turned to her.  "Oh?" Michelle wondered.  "How so?"

"She married a magician," Corrie explained.  "She's about to have the time of her life."

Tiffany smiled.  "Well, actually..."

"I don't get it," Crystal cut in.  "Hollie's been having sex with Paul for a while now.  What makes tonight any different?"

"Because they are married," Corrie answered.

"So?" Michelle put in.

"Let's just say that there are things that Paul can..."  She paused for effect.  "...reveal to her now that he couldn't before."

"Why not?" Kristina asked from beside her.

"Rules, Sweetie," Corrie replied, patting her hand.  "You would be surprised at the things the Head Office keeps secret."

"Ooh," Kristina grinned.  "What kind of things?"

"Secret things," Corrie said to her directly before turning back to everyone.  "But Hollie is now Paul's wife and that means he can share with her at last."

"Well," Kristina teased, "maybe you'll be able to show them to me someday."

Corrie gave her a smile in reply.  "Maybe," she said softly.

Tiffany tried again.  "Well, I don't know about all that, but..."

"I wish I could see them now."

Everyone turned to look at Crystal, who was finishing off another glass of champagne.  "What was that?" Michelle asked.

"Paul's secrets," the other girl replied, reaching for the bottle.  She was disappointed to find it empty.  "I wish I could see what he's going to reveal to Hollie tonight."

"Crystal!" Tiffany spat out.  "That's just wrong."

The girl looked at her in confusion.  "Wrong?" she repeated.  "Why is it wrong?"

"It's their wedding night," Tiffany explained.

"I know," the other girl said with a sloppy grin.

"Okay," Michelle said, getting up.  "I think it's time I got my roomie home and poured her into her bed.  Tiffany, you're our ride.  You ready?"

"Yes," Tiffany answered, sliding her chair back.  "How about you two?" she asked Corrie and Kristina.  "Need a ride?"

"I can get us home," Corrie said simply with one of her typical hand waves.  Kristina just looked at Tiffany and shrugged at her lover's comment.

"Okay," Tiffany nodded.  She went around the table to help Michelle get Crystal to her feet.

Crystal got up, but was still complaining.  "Oh, pooh.  I wanted to see the magic sex."

"Tell you what," Michelle said, sliding under her arm and leading her toward the exit.  "I'll see if Tiff will let us stop and pick you up a sex video on the way home."

"Really?"

"I think I can do that," Tiffany agreed, taking up position on the girl's other side.

"Will it have magic?"

"We'll see what we can find," Michelle told her.  "Will that work?"

"I guess," Crystal conceded, allowing herself to be guided away.  "I still wish I could see their wedding night, though.  Hell, I wish we all could."

Kristina shook her head at the exchange.  She turned to share a look with Corrie, but the other woman was staring after the three with a big grin on her face.  

"Wish granted," Corrie stated in a mischievous tone.

Kristina cocked her eyebrow at her.  "Wha.."

Before she could finish the question, a startled gasp came from the direction of the door.  She turned back just in time to see her three friends crumple to the floor in a pile.

         -----   -----   -----

"Okay," Paul said to the four restored women in his hotel bathroom.  "First things first.  If at all possible, I'd really like it if Hollie never finds out about this."  He was talking to all of them, but looked specifically at Tiffany.

The girl held up her hand.  "No problem," she told him.  "This is one experience I don't think I want to share with anyone.  Not even my best friend."  He nodded his thanks.  "But now," she went on, fixing him with a serious stare, "you answer a question for me."

Here it comes, he thought to himself.  "Okay," he said out loud.

"How did you know?"  The question was pretty self-explanatory, but she felt the need to clarify.  "You and Hollie were long gone when Corrie did this to us.  So, how did you know?"

The other girls looked at Tiffany, then turned their eyes to him.  "The plane tickets," he said simply.

"What?" Crystal said, obviously confused.

"When I changed out of my tux," he explained, "I put the tickets on a side table in the dressing room.  Then, I left them there.  I had to turn around and come back for them."

"Wait a second," Michelle said, her voice raising slightly.  "You mean to tell me you were there?"

He took a breath before answering.  "Yes," he admitted.  "I got there just before she changed you."

"So," she pressed, the voice continuing to climb, "you knew what she did to us,"

Paul held his hand up trying to quiet her.  "Please, Michelle," he pleaded.  He took another breath.  "Yes, I knew."

This time, Michelle's voice didn't raise.  It got deadly quiet.  "So, why didn't you do something about it?"

"Because I couldn't," he answered.  "Corrie changed you using wish magic."

Michelle looked ready to explode.  "What the...  Wish magic?  What?  You're freaking genies now?"

"Genies, demons, ghosts," Paul listed.  "Just about any magical myth you can name.  It can all be traced back to magicians at some point."

"What's wish magic?" Crystal asked before Michelle could attack again.

Paul looked at Michelle, who gestured for him to go on.  "It's conditional magic," he explained.  "You guys know about magical environments, right?"

"Yeah," Tiffany answered.  "It's what Corrie used to make your apartment into Toon Town for Hollie's bachelorette party."

"Right.  Well, wish magic works along the same lines, only instead of affecting an area, it affects a single person.  Or persons, in your cases."

"Affects us how?" Michelle asked.

"By putting conditions on what happens."

"Conditions?" Crystal repeated.

"Like keeping you transformed a certain way until you've seen a certain thing," he hinted.

"Crystal's wish," Tiffany said.  "She wished for us to see your wedding night."

"Right."

"And she had to turn us into Hollie's underwear for that to happen?" Michelle said through gritted teeth.

"No."  The answer came from Kristina, who was turned away from them.  "She didn't.  She just chose to."

"Right," Paul said again.  "And that's why I couldn't change you back.  And why I had to let Hollie wear you tonight.  If I hadn't, you'd all still be lace lingerie right now."

"Did you?" Tiffany asked.  "Have to let Hollie wear us, I mean.  Couldn't you have just put us on a table or something?  We'd still been able to see you, right?"

"Maybe," he admitted.  He put up his hand to stop Michelle's outburst.  "But I couldn't be certain," he went on.  "Corrie turned you into lingerie.  That would seem to indicate she intended for you to be worn.  If I'd prevented that, it might not have met the conditions of the wish, and you'd still be stuck."

"Couldn't you have asked her?" Michelle suggested.

He hesitated for a second before answering.  "Um, she couldn't say."

"Figures," Michelle fumed.  "Bitch was drunk on her ass."

"Yeah," he agreed.  "No doubt."  He looked around at each of them.  "Any more questions?"

"Just one," Crystal piped up.  "Where was the magic?"

"I'm sorry?" he asked, looking to Tiffany or Michelle for an explanation.  They just shared a glance before turning back to him.

"Corrie said," Crystal went on, "that now that you guys were married, there would be all this really crazy sex magic going on.  That's what I wanted to see.  But you didn't do anything I couldn't have seen any night on Cinemax.  Where was the magic?"

"Uh," he stammered.  "I... That is...  I don't..."  He looked again to the other girls for help, but they seemed to be too busy enjoying his embarrassment.  "I promised Hollie no magic on the honeymoon," he finally admitted.

"Well," Crystal frowned, "that's just damned disappointing."

Paul wasn't sure what to say to that.  But luckily Tiffany let him off the hook.  "So," she asked, "now what?"

"Now," Paul said, jumping on the opening, "I try to make it up to you all."  He turned and placed his hand onto the full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door.  Its surface took on a slight glow.  "Okay," he explained, turning back to them.  "This is a portal."

"To where?" Michelle asked.

"To wherever you want to go," he answered.  "On me.  I know it won't take away what happened here tonight, but it's the best I can do on short notice."

The girls just shared a look with each other.  Then, at some unseen signal, they turned back to him.  "Okay, Boss," Tiffany said.

Paul had always marveled at women's ability to carry on whole conversations without saying a word.  "Alright," he said.  "Who's first?"

"That would be me," Michelle said, getting up.  "Us actually," she added, pulling Crystal to her feet as well.

"Where to?"

"Right here," Michelle said, dragging Crystal over.  "We're in Vegas, right?"

"We are," Paul smiled.  "Something told me that was going to be your choice."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he nodded.  "That's why I took the liberty of going ahead and booking a room for you."

She cut her eyes at him.  "For a week?"

"End," he added.  "Weekend."

She gave it some thought, then nodded.  "I can work with that."

"This should help," he said, pulling a debit card from his pocket.  "Just don't go too crazy."

"No promises," she grinned, snatching the card.  "Come on, Crystal."  With that, she stepped through the mirror and disappeared.

"Don't worry, Boss," Crystal said, patting him on the cheek.  "I'll keep her out of trouble."  Before he could say anything, she too was gone.

Paul stared after them for a moment before turning.  "How about you, Tiff?" he asked.

The girl let out a soft sigh.  "I just want to go home," she said, getting up and coming over.  "Is that okay?"

Paul nodded.  "It's fine."

"You do realize that you just sent Crystal to keep an eye on Michelle, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."  He pulled another debit card from his pocket.

"What's this for?" she asked, taking it.

"For when they call you to bail them out."

She laughed softly, then asked, "How are you going to hide all this disappearing money from Hollie?"

"Easy," he told her.  "The cards draw off of Corrie's accounts."

She nodded.  "That seems fair.  Might have to do a little shopping myself."  She leaned up to give him a kiss on his cheek.  "Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon."

"I intend to."

She looked over his shoulder with concern.  He turned to look as well.  Kristina remained seated at the vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror.  She had been in that position ever since she'd been restored.  She hadn't even turned away to speak earlier.  

Tiffany turned back to Paul and gave him a look that told him to deal with it.  He nodded in reply.  She returned the nod, then stepped through the portal.

Paul turned back and looked again at the last of Corrie's victims.  After a moment, he spoke.  "Are you okay?"

For the first time, Kristina moved, returning his look.  "Not really.  No."

         -----   -----   -----

Eight Hours Eariler:

"Corrie!" Kristina shouted, jumping up from her chair.  "What the hell?"  She rushed across the room.

"Just granting the girl's wish," her lover said, taking a sip from her glass.

Kristina stopped just shy of the pile of white fabric.  She stood and stared at it for a few seconds, looking for some sign of her friends.  Finally, she turned back to where Corrie remained sitting at the table.  "Change them back!" she demanded.  "Now!"

"I can't," Corrie stated plainly.

"Don't give me that shit!" the girl hissed.  "I've seen what you can do.  Hell, I've experienced most of  it personally.  So, change them back!"

"I told you," Corrie said, getting up from the table.  "I can't.  Not until the wish is granted."

"Wish?" Kristina repeated.  "What wish?"

"You heard her," Corrie said, coming over to stand next to Kristina.  "She wanted to see my brother's wedding night.  She wanted them all to."

Kristina bent down quickly and picked a lace stocking from the pile.  Based on the fact that it was between the other two items, she figured it had to be Crystal.  "How is she supposed to see anything like this?" she asked, holding it out for Corrie to see.

"Magic, of course," Corrie simply said.

Kristina practically shook in frustration.  "Corrie, you can't just do stuff like this to people."

"I know," she agreed, sounding disappointed.  "The Head Office has all kind of rules against that."  She smiled after a moment.  "But the rules for assistants are a bit looser."

"I know the rules," Kristina told her. "Paul explained them before I signed up with him.  But rules or not, this is still wrong."

Corrie sighed heavily.  "Look, Kristi, accept it.  The magic was used to grant a wish.  So, even if I wanted to, I could not change them back.  They are stuck until the wish is fulfilled."  She turned and headed back to the table.  "Now, bring them along."

Kristina wanted to continue pleading her case, but it was obvious that Corrie considered the matter settled.  With a shake of her head, she knelt down to retrieve the rest of her friends.  She picked up another stocking that had to be Michelle.  Tiffany appeared to be a bustier.  "What?" she said sarcastically as she gathered them together.  "No panties?"

Corrie laughed.  "I really don't think they will be necessary."

As she approached, Kristina saw the woman reach under the table and produce a rectangular gift box that hadn't been there before.  "What's that for?" she asked.

"Them," Corrie stated, indicating the lingerie in her lover's hands.  "I have to get them ready to go."

"Go?" Kristie asked with a confused expression.  "Go where?"  Her eyes grew wide as she realized the answer.  "Oh, hell no!  You can't send them to Hollie!"

Corrie looked up at her, her impatience plainly visible.  "Do you want them restored or not?"

"Of course I do."

"Then they have to witness my brother's wedding night," the older woman said.  "They can hardly do that if they're not there, now can they?"

"But..."  Kristina stammered.  "What if Hollie won't wear them?"

"Why wouldn't she wear them?"

"Well," the younger girl said, "you have to admit that your last gift to her came with..."  She struggled for the right word.  "...issues attached."

"True," Corrie admitted with a slight smile.  "Well, for their sakes, let's hope that Hollie has gotten past all that."

"Corrie!"

"Oh, relax," Corrie said, waving her hand.  "It's a wish spell.  And part of the wish is that they see it.  The magic will make sure that Hollie wears them... or something...  Anyway, somehow they will be able to see it all... Probably."

"God, Corrie," Kristina sighed.  "Sometimes..."  She stopped as she had another thought.  "Oh, shit!" she shouted.  "What about the truce?"

"What about it?" Corrie asked.

"What about it?" the girl repeated.  "You said that if either side violated the truce, the other side could do whatever they wanted with them for a year"

"And?"

"And," she went on, "there's no way Paul won't see this as a violation.  Hell, this is an escalation.  Do you have any idea what he'll do to us?"

Corrie blew out a raspberry with her tongue, adding her standard wave to the mix.  "Bring it on," she challenged.

"That's easy for you to say," Kristina said.  "You're used to this stuff.  But I'd just as soon not end up as Hollie's tampons for the next twelve months if it's all the same to you."

Corrie smiled at the image.  "Will you please relax," she said with a giggle.  "First, there's no way that Hollie would do that to you.  Second, the truce was set to last until Paul and Hollie were married.  They are.  It's over.  So, we're perfectly safe."

"Yeah, right," Kristina scoffed.  She nodded at the lingerie in her hands.  "I bet they thought they were safe, too."

Corrie just grinned.  "Well, it appears that they were misinformed."

"For Christ's sake, Corrie," Kristina scolded.  "How can you be so cruel?  These are our friends."

Corrie snorted.  "They are your friends perhaps.  But they're hardly mine."  She took Tiffany from Kristina's hands.  "This one only tolerates me because I'm Paul's sister."  As she spoke, she folded the bustier and placed it neatly in the gift box.  She turned and slid Michelle out.  "This one is still mad at me for taking you away from them," she added, setting the stocking in the box.  "And this one," she went on, taking Crystal.  She stopped and thought about it for a second.  "Okay, this one could probably be my friend," he admitted, putting the other stocking in the box.

"Not after this she couldn't", Kristina told her.  "Hell, they probably won't even be my friends anymore now."

"Then who needs them?" Corrie said with another wave.  "If a little thing like this is all it takes to make them stop being your friends, then you're better off without them."

"Little thing?" Kristina cried in disbelief.  "Corrie, you're sending them off to be worn as the lingerie your new sister-in-law wears while your brother has sex with her.  That's not a little thing."

Corrie smiled an evil grin.  "Trust me, Sweetie," she said proudly.  "I've done worse."

Kristina just stared back at her.  "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Corrie's face fell.  "Apparently not," she said with a shake of her head.  She produced a card and a pen out of thin air.  Sitting at the table, she began to fill it out.

"You're going through with this?" Kristina asked.

"I hardly see any alternative," Corrie answered without looking up.

Kristina threw her hands up.  "God, I can't believe how casual you are about this," she vented.  "I swear, if I'd known you could be this heartless, I'd have never..."  She didn't finish the thought.

Corrie looked up now, her eyes narrowing.  "Never what?"

Kristina turned away.  "Nothing.  Never mind."

"It didn't sound like nothing to me," Corrie said, setting down the pen.  "Are you questioning our relationship?"

"Maybe," Kristina admitted.

"Over this?"  Corrie held her hands out to the gift box on the table.

"This isn't enough?" Kristina said in disbelief.

"It's just that," Corrie went on, "I don't remember you questioning our relationship when it was you toying with them."

"What?" Kristina said, caught off guard.

"With Paul's computer program," Corrie clarified.

"That... That was different."

"Oh really?" Corrie said, resting her elbows on the table.  She laced her fingers together and placed her chin on them.  "Do enlighten me."

Kristina hesitated.  "Well," she said, thinking, "for one thing, they were all safe in their hotel rooms and stayed there.  I didn't send them off to be used by someone else."

"Maybe you didn't send them anywhere," Corrie acknowledged.  "But I do seem to recall Paul and Hollie using each other quite a bit."

"Well... okay," Kristina said, biting her lip.  "But they were only stuck that way for about an hour and... and..."  She stammered, trying to think of something else.  "Hell!" she shouted in frustration.  "You talked me into doing it in the first place."

"I see," Corrie said, sitting back.  "So even that is my fault now, is it?"

"I didn't mean that."

"No," Corrie nodded.  "But you said it."

Kristina sighed.  "Corrie..."

"Tell me, Kristina," Corrie said, cutting her off.  "Are you regretting your decision to be with me?"

Kristina looked away.  "A little, yeah."

Corrie took a deep breath.  "So what are you saying?  That you wish you had stayed with them?"  She pointed to the gift box in front of her.

Kristina looked back up at her.  "I don't know," she admitted.  "Maybe I do."

As soon as she saw the hurt in Corrie's eyes, Kristina regretted what she had said.  But a second later, the hurt was replaced by anger.  And then, she grew scared.  She had seen what Corrie was capable of when she was having fun.  She didn't want to know what she could do when angry.  She opened her mouth to apologize, but the words never made it past her lips.

"Wish granted," Corrie said.

         -----   -----   -----

After her brief statement, Kristina went back to staring into the vanity mirror.  Paul decided to give her the time she needed to get it together.  He leaned against the vanity while he waited.

Finally, she turned back to him.  "The truce?" she asked simply.

He gave her a half smile.  "Corrie would never risk giving anyone that much control over her.  Not even me.  The truce was over."

She was visibly relieved.  "Good," she said quietly.

"However," he went on, "in hindsight, I'm beginning to think that the truce wasn't a good idea in the first place."

She didn't hide her surprise.  "What?"

"We tied her hands," he explained.  "You know how easily she gets bored.  And a bored Corrie..."

Kristina finished for him.  "...is a crazed Corrie."

"On steroids," he nodded.  "She's probably been sitting on go for weeks, waiting for today.  So, when she saw an opening, she pounced."

She considered what he'd said and nodded her head.  The nod quickly turned into a shake.  "I still can't believe she did that, though," she said.  "To them."  She paused.  "To me," she added quietly.

"She shouldn't have been able to," he told her.  She gave her a confused look.  "Not to them anyway," he went on.  "They are my assistants.  Not hers."

"So how..."

"My fault," he answered her unfinished question.  "I gave her permission."

"Permission?"

"Yeah," he said, obviously not happy with himself.  "During the showdown we had after the Halloween show.  I gave her permission to use you girls for that."  He sighed before continuing.  "I never took it away.  And that's all she needed.  Trust me.  Corrie's never seen a loophole she didn't drive a truck through."

Kristina looked doubtful.  "Surely you noticed before now," she stated.  "I mean, she did stuff to us at Hollie's bachelorette party.  Not to mention with your computer."

Paul shook his head.  "She didn't use the loophole either time."

"She didn't?"

Another shake.  "At the party," he explained, "she used environmental magic on the apartment.  Not you.  It would have affected anyone in the apartment.  Even me.  And with the computer..."

"...she got me to do it," Kristina finished, looking ashamed.

Paul hesitated.  "Well... yeah, she did.  But that wouldn't have mattered.  I left the computer up and running with my magic.  She could have gotten anyone to do it, and it would have worked."

"Another loophole," Kristina said, realizing it now.  

"Right," he agreed.  "So, this is the first time that she's really used the permission I gave her."  His eyes darkened.  "And it'll be the last.  As soon as it's possible, I'm taking away that option.  She won't mess with them again."

Kristina looked back into the mirror.  "But she'll still be able to mess with me," she said softly.

"I'm afraid so," Paul agreed.  "You're her assistant, and the rules say..."

"...that she can do anything to me at any time," she recited.  "I know."

"It was originally meant to allow us to pull off impromptu performances," he explained.  "But I'm afraid that several have taken advantage of its vagueness over the years."  He waited for her to say something, but she just continued to stare into the mirror.  "I'm sorry, Kristina."

She shook her head, but didn't turn to him.  "It's not your fault.  I signed up with her voluntarily."

"Not for that."

This time she turned.  "Then, what?"

"For not stepping in sooner," he told her.  "Before she..."  He didn't finish the sentence.

She looked confused.  "I don't understand."

Paul took a moment before explaining.  "You heard me tell the others that I got there just before Corrie changed them."  She nodded, but remained silent.  "I was too late to help them."  He sighed, then went on.  "But I was there the whole time you and Corrie were fighting."

Kristina's eyes narrowed.  "So, why didn't you say anything?"

"No good reason," he admitted.  "I figured if Corrie didn't know I was there, she might give me some clue on how she granted Crystal's wish.  I was hoping for some way to get around Hollie actually having to wear them to bed."

"But she didn't."

"No," he agreed.  "If anything, she suggested that it was exactly what had to happen."  He sighed.  "Anyway.  You seemed to be holding your own in the fight.  By the time I realized that you were in trouble, it was too late again."  This time he was the one that turned away.  "I'm really sorry.  I should have stepped in before..."

"Paul," she said, cutting him off.  He turned to face her.  "It wasn't your fault she turned me into a thong.  It was mine."

"No, it wasn't," Paul stated.

"I pissed her off," Kristina countered.

"No," Paul insisted.  "You hurt her.  And Corrie always reacts to hurt with anger.  Trust me.  This isn't the first time I've seen it."

"She's done this before?" Kristina asked.

"Well, not this specifically," he admitted.  "But she's done other things to keep from dealing with her feelings."  He huffed.  "Let me tell you about her prom sometime."

Kristina smiled for the first time that evening.  "She told me about that."

Paul's eyes widened in shock.  "She did?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling at the memory.  The smile quickly faded, and was replaced by sadness.  "I'm scared, Paul," she told him.

"Of what?"

"Of her," she answered.  "We've never fought before.  This is the first time I've ever seen her really angry."  She paused as her mind raced.  "She could have done anything to me.  Anything.  She could have turned me into a pile of dirt and just left me there for the clean-up crew to vacuum up."

"I never would have let her do something like that," Paul stated.

She cut her eyes to him.  "And if you hadn't been there?" she asked.  He started to say something, but stopped.  "That's what I thought."

"I still don't believe she would have done that to you," Paul said.

"Maybe," Kristina agreed.  "But the fact remains that she could have, right?"

Paul took a second to consider.  "Yeah," he finally admitted.  "She could."

Kristina nodded and turned back to the mirror.  "And just knowing that..."  She sighed.  "I don't think I can go back to her," she said.  "Not after this."

"So, what are you going to do?"

She smiled sadly.  "I honestly don't know," she admitted.  "I just know that I can't face her.  Not yet."

"Well," Paul said with a slight smile, "that won't be an issue.  Not for a while anyway."

Kristina turned to him with a confused expression.  In answer to her unasked question, Paul reached down and pulled open the top drawer on the vanity.  Kristina looked into the open drawer, her eyes growing wide at what was inside.

         -----   -----   ------

Eight Hours Earlier:

Corrie turned her head toward the ceiling and let out a heavy sigh.  "Shit!" she spat out through gritted teeth.  She looked back down to the empty spot where her girlfriend had stood moments before.  "Shit," she said again, softer this time.

She got up from the table and slowly walked around it.  She stopped and looked down at the piece of white fabric that used to be her lover.  "Now look what you made me do," she said.  She bent down and picked up the thong.  "Well," she said, giving it a closer look, "this is really going to screw up my plans for later."

Shaking her head, she headed back to the table.  "Nothing I can do about it now," she said, opening the gift box and placing Kristina gently on top of the bustier.  "You're part of the wish, Sweetie.  So, you'll just have to go with them."

She placed the filled-out card into the box and closed it.  Picking it up, she carried it over to the wall where a mail slot had appeared.  She pulled it open and held the box over the opening.   "Okay," she said to the closed box.  "I know you're not happy about this," she said to Kristina through the box.  "Believe me, I'm not happy about it either.  But what can we do?"

A sad smile came to her lips.  "Maybe it won't be that bad," she proposed.  "I mean, think about it.  You're going to be wrapped around the butt of a sexy woman."  The smile faded.  "I wish I could be so lucky," she breathed as she dropped the package.  She closed the slot and it vanished.  She patted the wall a couple of times.  "I wish I could be so lucky," she said again before turning.

A second later, she jumped back at the sight of someone standing right behind her.  "Paul!" she shouted as she realized it was her brother.  "You scared the living hell out of me.  What are you do..."

Paul didn't let her finish the question.  Instead, he looked her straight in the eye and said, "Wish granted."

         -----   -----   -----

"You granted her wish," Kristina said, pulling a white lace thong out of the drawer.

"I did," Paul told her.

Kristina thought back to what she'd heard through the box.  "She wanted to be as lucky as she thought I was going to be."

"Specifically," Paul added, "from being worn on a sexy woman's butt."

"So, I've got to wear her to fulfill the wish?" Kristina asked, looking up at him.

"Not you," he said.  She arched an eyebrow at him.  "Uh," he stammered, "not that your butt isn't sexy.  Because it is."  The eyebrow went up further.  "I mean, not that I've paid it a lot of attention.  It's just..."

"Paul," she said before he could dig the hole any deeper.  "I get it."

"Right," he said, relieved.  He took a moment to get it together before going on.  "Anyway, when Corrie said that you were going to be worn by a sexy woman, she had a particular one in mind."

"Hollie," Kristina stated.

"Exactly," Paul nodded.

Kristina considered it for a minute.  "So," she said, "let me see if I've got this straight.  You turned your sister into underwear for your wife?"

Paul let out a long breath.  He reached up and used his fingers to rub his forehead.  "Yeah, I know," he told her.  "Apparently not thinking things through runs in the family."

"Apparently," she agreed drily.  "What are you going to tell Hollie?"

"Hopefully, nothing," he said quickly.  "I'll just slip Corrie into her panty drawer and wait until Hollie wears her.  Then, I'll sneak her back out and change her back."

"That's your plan?"

"For now, yeah," Paul admitted.  "I really haven't had a lot of time to come up with a better one."

She nodded her understanding.  "I guess you have had other things on your mind," she said with a slight smile.

He smiled back.  "A few."

She turned back to look at the thong in her hand.  "So, if I wore her, what would happen?" she asked.

"Nothing," he answered.  "Until Hollie wears her, she's stuck.  We're just as vulnerable to magic as anyone else.  You could wear her as many times as you'd like and she'd stay just like she is now."

She got quiet as she thought about that.  Paul waited patiently while she did.  "Then..."  She stopped and thought a bit longer.  Finally, she looked up at Paul.  "Then," she said again, "it might be best that you keep her."  She handed over the thong.

Paul smiled.  "Okay," he agreed.  "But not here."  

He dropped his sister back into the vanity drawer and closed it.  After a moment, he reopened it.  Kristina looked in and wasn't surprised to find it empty.  "So," she asked, "where is she?"

"At our place," Paul told her.  He paused for effect, then added, "In the dirty clothes hamper."

"Paul," she sighed.  "Really?"

"Don't worry," he said with a smirk.  "By the time we get home, the maid service will have her safely in Hollie's drawer."

"Yeah," Kristina said with a shake of her head.  "Well," she went on, getting up, "I guess I've taken up enough of your honeymoon."

"Okay," he nodded, moving away from the vanity.  "Where do you want to go?"
She took a moment to answer.  "Corrie's place.  I have a few things I need to get together."  Her face grew sad.  "I'll figure it out from there."

"Kristi?"  She looked up at him.  "You've still got friends, you know?" he told her.

"Do I?" she asked.  "After this, I'm not so sure."

"Look," he explained firmly.  "Those girls have no reason at all to be angry with you about this.  Hell, if anything, you're their champion."

"I don't know," she disagreed.  "Michelle seemed pretty mad to me."

"Michelle's always mad," he said with a smile.  She shrugged in reply.  "Besides," he added, "I'd say she was more upset with you for turning her into a living boob."

Kristina's eyes grew wide.  "Oh, crap," she said.  "With everything else that's happened, I forgot all about that.  They're all probably pissed at me about that."

"Well," Paul told her, "Tiffany already knew."  At her shocked expression, he added, "Best friends."  He shrugged.  "And Crystal...  Hell, she's probably trying to figure out some way for you to do it again."

Kristina couldn't help but smile at the comment.  "Probably," she agreed.  The smile faded.  "But I still owe them all an apology."

Paul nodded.  "Yes, you do," he stated.  "But take some advice.  Wait until Michelle's finished blowing off steam here in Vegas.  It'll go better."

"I will," she said.  She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.  "Thanks, Paul."

"You're welcome," he told her.

She turned for the portal, but stopped before entering.  "Paul?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Tell Hollie," she ordered softly.  "She deserves to know.  Trust me on this.  You don't want any unexpected surprises coming at you later."  

Before he could say anything, she stepped through the portal and was gone.

Paul stared after her for a few moments, before reaching up and closing the portal.  He leaned his head on the restored mirror and sighed.  "Damn it," he said to himself.

Quietly, he opened the bathroom door and peeked out.  Hollie was still curled up under the covers in the bed.  He tip toed across the room, removed his pants and easily slipped into the bed.  Moving carefully, he curled up against her and relaxed.

"So," Hollie's half asleep voice asked, "you want to tell me what that was all about?"

Paul sighed and rolled onto his back.  "Yeah," he said, staring up at the ceiling.  "But can it wait until tomorrow."

Hollie rolled over and lifted herself up onto her elbow.  She looked at her husband, noting the expression on his face.  "Yes," she agreed, snuggling closer.  "It can wait."

She laid her head on his shoulder, while he used his arm to pull her tighter.  Her own arm reached across his body, resting on his other shoulder.  And that's how they stayed until both had fallen into a deep restful sleep.